Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Lansdale priest charged with groping man at YMCA

A Montgomery County Roman Catholic priest is accused of groping a man in the North Penn YMCA locker room.

The Rev. John Roebuck, 64, a priest at St. Stanislaus parish in
Lansdale, was arrested Friday and charged with indecent assault without
consent, a misdemeanor, and harassment, a summary offense.

He is free on $50,000 unsecured bail, according to court records.

Lansdale police Sergeant Sgt. Alex Kromdyk said
in a news release Saturday afternoon that the alleged victim, whose
identity and age were not revealed, told police that he met Roebuck in a
locker room of the North Penn YMCA in Lansdale on Dec. 15.

The man said he had a brief conversation with
Roebuck in a sauna around 7 p.m. and later, while at a sink in the
locker room, noticed Roebuck standing behind him.

The man said he
started to leave and Roebuck extended his hand to say goodbye with a
handshake.

While they were shaking hands, the man told police, he felt
Roebuck’s other hand grabbing his genitals, the press release says.

Police said the man reported the groping to YMCA
staff and an employee confronted Roebuck, who was still in the building
and denied the allegation.

The alleged victim went to police the next
day.

Police said they interviewed Roebuck on Dec. 19 and issued a warrant for his arrest on Jan. 13. Roebuck surrendered Friday.

Police noted that the alleged victim is younger than Roebuck, but didn’t say how much younger.

The Archdiocese of Philadelphia issued a statement, calling the case “deeply troubling.”

Roebuck has been placed on administrative leave and is relieved of all duties as a priest, the archdiocese said.

“The archdiocese is cooperating fully with the
police investigation,” Kenneth Gavin, director of communications for the
archdiocese, said in the statement.